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Speaking to the Guardian, Sally Hunt, the general secretary of the University and College Union, said: “These findings are worrying and highlight how damaging the government’s refusal to guarantee the rights of EU staff can be.

“Theresa May may wish to style herself as the strong and stable candidate, but she is creating dangerous insecurity in our universities.

“By its very nature, higher education is international, and the exchange of knowledge across borders is critical to its success. If we are to preserve our global reputation for excellence, our universities must be unencumbered when it comes to attracting and retaining overseas staff and students.”

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Earlier this year, Prof Catherine Barnard from the University of Cambridge told the Education Select Committee the university had seen a 14 per cent drop in applications from EU students.

She warned Brexit could mean the loss of talented mathematicians from eastern Europe, who would take their skills elsewhere.